Freddy Gray Freddy Gray

Very funny Barack, but can our politicians start taking themselves a bit more seriously?

Tell me something. When you watch the above video of Justin Trudeau, does it warm your heart? Do you think it funny and therefore good? Do you say to yourself, ‘Aww, isn’t it great that our politicians don’t take themselves too seriously? It’s all in a good cause, too, bless!’

Or do you cringe and think, ‘You vain prat Justin! You are a politician not a light entertainer. Stop degrading us with this cutesy comic crap! Don’t you have anything better to do? Stop using charity as an excuse to celebrate your narcissism and get back to work!’

If, like me, your reaction is the latter, then consolations, comrade. We are in the humourless minority. Most people adore this stuff. Trudeau’s little skit is being shared all over the internet today. It is a response to Prince Harry and President Obama’s viral video promoting the Invictus Games, which everybody loved because it featured the Queen. It was all for a cause that is close to the Prince’s heart, we were told. And Prince Harry said ‘boom!’, which is in and of itself hilarious. These global leaders are just like us, the meme-craving, drooling-on-our-smart-phones masses.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw-3XyVTzJc

Trudeau took the joke a bit too far, obviously, and his video will not be applauded by all. But when Barack Obama makes a joke, almost everybody heralds him as hilarious. Take his White House correspondents’ dinner speech on Saturday night, which is being enjoyed by everyone. It was, in parts, very funny. The President is a class act. He has a terrific talent for delivering jokes. The ‘Obama out’ microphone bit at the end was cool, too. Because Obama is black and charismatic, he can get away with posing in a way that no other major party leader can.

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